


no life I know

by seventhswan



Category: Despicable Me (Movies)
Genre: Adoption, Christmas, Family, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-03-08
Updated: 2014-03-08
Packaged: 2018-01-15 01:00:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 442
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1285345
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/seventhswan/pseuds/seventhswan
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              
<p></p><blockquote>
  <p>“If I tied a rope around her ankle, and then tied a big rock to the end of the rope, <em>nobody would blame me</em>,” Gru says to Margo, throwing his hands up. “In fact, they would say, <em>Gru, you are a genius. Please teach us your secrets for dealing with hyperactive little girls on Christmas Eve. Here, have a medal, this is for you.</em>”</p>
</blockquote><p>The first Christmas for Gru and the girls.</p>
            </blockquote>





	no life I know

**Author's Note:**

> This is oooold, written before the sequel came out, so it obviously totally disregards its events.
> 
> Title from **Pure Imagination** ( _lyric: there is no life I know that compares_ ), sung by Gene Wilder.

“If I tied a rope around her ankle, and then tied a big rock to the end of the rope, _nobody would blame me_ ,” Gru says to Margo, throwing his hands up. “In fact, they would say, _Gru, you are a genius. Please teach us your secrets for dealing with hyperactive little girls on Christmas Eve. Here, have a medal, this is for you._ ”

Margo always suspects that some day her father is going to stop being so amusing to her, but it isn’t today.

“Dad,” she says, laughing, “it’s Christmas Eve. She’s five.”

Gru sighs and collapses back onto the alligator sofa.

“She’s been up four times already to pee! _Four_.”

Margo curls a piece of ribbon patiently with a sharp pair of scissors and, pleased, tweaks the bow. The small pile of gifts Gru put her in charge of are gleaming, as neat as if they’d gone to a department store wrapper. Gru’s pile, on the other hand, is haphazard, crumpled, ham-fisted. Luckily, the Minions are more likely to try to eat the paper than to complain about the wrap job.

“You know,” Gru says, frowning and holding up a tiny blue sweater, “I’m no longer so sure that this is really Stuart’s color.”

|

The next morning, Agnes wakes her sisters by climbing into their beds and jumping on their chests. Margo opens her eyes blearily, feeling around for her glasses. It’s six am, and actually, she’s surprised Agnes slept that long. Agnes was so young when their mother died that she can’t remember what it’s like to have Christmas at all - all her conceptions of the holiday pretty much come from the Charlie Brown Christmas special. So she started talking about this – her first real Christmas - all the way back in _July_.

What Margo is surprised at is that, when they open their bedroom door, Gru is already skulking outside.

“ _There_ you are,” he says, grabbing Edith’s free hand. “Finally! Come on, come on!”

They run down the hall in a line, Margo holding Agnes’ hand holding Edith’s holding Gru’s, but when they reach the threshold of the lounge, Gru lets go and hangs back, letting them barrel on ahead.

Agnes and Edith are too distracted by their sparkling piles of presents to notice, but after she stops gawking and kneels by her pile, Margo turns her head to look at her father.

“Dad?” she says, while Agnes rips open an enormous box containing a Princess Unicorn Play Castle and begins to shriek, “aren’t you coming?”

Gru, hovering in the doorway, lifts a hand, eyes shiny.

“Yes, I’ll be over in –“ he swallows. “Just, just give me a minute.”


End file.
